The presence of the guardian of the
peace encouraged me; and if I felt a little chilly at entering a den
of vice as this was it must be excusable as, till then, I only knew
of them by name and what little I had heard of them.
I was at once ushered into a little bed-room, from where the shrieks
of a female voice had come as if in great agony and in great pain. I
found a young girl not past her seventeenth year, yet in the last
state of labor,--it was a sight I shall never forget as long as I
live: years have past since then but it is as fresh in my memory as
if it were yesterday, and in my ears are the sound of her voice to
help and protect her from the inhuman abuse which another inmate of
the house showered down upon the poor victim.
I discovered that the poor young creature--we will call her Martha--
had only come to Montreal, the day previous, and, on, inquiring for
a boarding house, was driven by a carter to this den. The house
being full of occupants the landlady had made her occupy the same
room with another bad character, a great bony female about forty
years of age, with painted face, and attired in disgusting finery.
This great, big, hardened creature then gave the greatest trouble,
would have me remove my patient out of her room, even at the risk of
her life, and I was obliged to call the assistance of the policeman
to have her quieted.
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